Friday, 23 August 2013

The Global Injury Prevention team at the US Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention have been awarded the 2012 International Excellence in Program Delivery Award by the agency. The award, which recognised the team's work on the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative (GHVI) in Cambodia, Uganda and Vietnam, was presented to Injury Prevention Director Dr Grant Baldwin by CDC Director Thomas Frieden on 20th August 2013. CDC has been a key part of GHVI's team, providing monitoring and evaluation components to GHVI's work promoting motorcycle helmet legislation, awareness campaigns and helmet provision. The GHVI is supported by the Road Safety Fund through a grant from the FIA Foundation.

Thursday, 22 August 2013

In an important advance for the international campaign for road safety, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called for road traffic injuries to be recognised as a health priority in the post-2015 development goals. In his report to the UN General Assembly, "A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015", Mr Ban outlines the “emerging vision” for the global development agenda beyond 2015 that will replace the Millennium Development Goals when they expire. The report highlights a number of “transformative and mutually reinforcing actions” applicable to all countries. Improving health is one such action area, and the report includes reducing the burden of road traffic injury among the priorities. Other key public health priorities include addressing universal health-care coverage; eradicating malaria and realising a future free from AIDS and tuberculosis; and combating non-communicable diseases. Progress on the MDGs and next steps for the post-2015 debate will be on the agenda at a special summit at the UN in September.